Primer pocket tool for reloading cartridge cases



June 23, 1964 K. L. WESTON 3,138,055

PRIMER POCKET TOOL FOR RELOADING CARTRIDGE CASES Filed Jan. 2, 1962 I NVE N TOR.

KENNET Z WESTON atent 3,138,955 Patented June 23., 1964 3,138,055PREIWER PUCKET TOOL FGR RELOADHJG CARTRIDGE CASES Kenneth L. Weston,1636 Caile Canon, Santa Barbara, Calif. Filed Jan. 2, 1962, Ser. No.163,679 1 Claim. (Cl. sass This invention relates to ammunition and acombination primer pocket swaging and primer seating tool for thereloading of used cartridge cases, involving the process steps ofresizing, decapping, deburring, recapping, reloading per se, andprojectile seating. A general object of this invention is to provide atool for use in the reloading of cartridges and through which thereloading process as a whole is expedited.

There is a particular source of ammunition available to those who areinterested in reloading used cartridges, namely used United StatesGovernment rifle cases. These government cases or brass differ from thecommercial ammunition in that the primers are initially crimped orstaked in the pockets of the cases and which involves sharp corners atthe edges of said pockets, as distinguished from rounded corners in thecommercial equivalent. In any case, the government cases are readilyavailable and are in demand because of superior construction. However,these superior government cases require reworking of the sharp cornersof the primer pockets and it is this feature of these cartridge caseswith which the present invention is primarily concerned.

Referring now to the particular kind of ammunition that is to bereworked and reloaded, it is usual practice to deburr the said sharpedge of the primer pocket by reaming the same with a hand operatedreamer. This practice requires, removal of the cartridge case from thereloading apparatus, the separate operation of reaming in order toremove the burr, and the reinsertion of the cartridge case into thereloading apparatus for charging the same with powder and for seatingthe projectile. In other words, with ordinary apparatus and withavailable tools it is not possible to deburr the primer pocket while thecartridge case is held in the reloading apparatus. On the contrary, timeconsuming removal of the cartridge cases from the apparatus is requiredin order to deburr the primer pocket.

An object of this invention is to provide a tool for use in ammunitionreloading apparatus whereby deburring of the primer pocket is conductedwithout removal of the cartridge case at any time. With the toolhereinafter disclosed it is possible to conduct the reloading processwith continuity and with a substantial reduction in time and effort.Specifically, about one-half of the usual manual operations or motionsare eliminated and with a consequent reduction in time and effort.

It is an object of this invention to provide a combination tool for usein ammunition reloading apparatus and which successfully performs thefunctions of swaging (to be distinguished from reaming) and pressing.Note is to be made that these two functions are accomplished withoutsacrificing the guiding characteristics which must be maintained inconnection with this tool, to properly align the new primer that is tobe installed.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a tool of thecharacter referred to that is safe to operate without danger ofexploding the new primer to be installed, and a tool that is devoid ofintricacy and all to the end that a very inexpensive and very practicalimprovement is provided which can be incorporated in exist ing apparatuswithout alteration thereof. The only change in said apparatus will bethe substitution of the instant tool in place of the tool presently usedto press primers into the primer pockets.

The various objects and features of this invention will be fullyunderstood from the following detailed description of the typicalpreferred form and application thereof, throughout which descriptionreference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an ammunition reloading apparatusof the type in which the tool of the present invention can he used.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a typical primer.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are separate views showing the process steps involvedin using the tool of FIG. 3 as it is installed in the apparatus in FIG.1.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged detailed sectional views showing thereformation of the burred edge of the primer pocket, FIG. 7 showing theburr that is to be removed and FIG. 8 showing the tool in the process ofeliminating said burr.

In FIG. 1 of the drawings I have shown a much used type of ammunitionreloading apparatus. The apparatus comprises a C-shaped frame 10 havinga horizontal flange 11 for securement to a table top or the like. Theupper leg 12 of the frameltl is provided with any of a number ofdifferent dies 13 adapted to resize the particular cartridge case to bereloaded. The axis of the die 13 is on the operative axis of theapparatus and said axis is preferably inclined, as shown. The lowerportion of the frame It carries a reciprocable member 14 and a manuallyoperable linkage to shift said member relative to the die 13. Saidmember 14 has a cartridge case receiving means at its uppermost end,typically in the form of a side opening recess 15 adapted to receive thecase laterally and to engage the rim 16 of the case. Thus, the member 14is coupled to the cartridge case to move it in a positive manner.

With the apparatus generally described above, the various steps ofresizing, decapping, deburring, recapping, reloading with a powdercharge, and projectile seating can be carried out, and said deburring ismade possible in the apparatus by the provision of the tool hereindisclosed. In accordance with usual construction, the apparatus includesa decapping pin (not shown) that projects through the die 13, and it mayinclude dispensing means for new primers and for the new powder charges.Since this invention is not concerned with the powder charges nor withthe projectile seating a discussion of the same will be dispensed with,it being understood that said two steps will follow in the usual mannerafter the new primer is installed.

The apparatus, as shown, includes dispenser means 18 having a supplytube 19 for containing a supply column of new primers P and with atransversely shiftable stop pin 20 adapted to release one primer P at atime. The means 18 is positioned at the top front portion of theapparatus and a transfer means 21 is provided to receive a primer P atmeans 18 and to position it for alignment with and pressing into theprimer pocket of the case S. As shown, the means 21 involves an arm 22that is pivotally mounted on the frame ill to swing from the means 18 toa position where the new primer P is aligned with the operational axisof the apparatus. As is usual practice, the means 21 comprises a shaft25 that supports the swaging and pressing tool later described and whichslidably carries a primer positioning sleeve 26. The sleeve 26 iscup-shaped with a transverse bottom 27 having a bore therethrough toslidably pass the shaft 25. A compression spring 23 surrounds the shaftand acts between the arm 22 and sleeve 26 to yieldingly urge the sleevein an upward direction, and to permit said sleeve to be depresseddownwardly. The said sleeve 26 is retained on the shaft 25 by the toolof the present invention that forms a head of larger diameter than theshaft 25.

The cartridge case S that is to be reformed by the apparatus forreloading has a cylindrical wall 39 and a base 31 with a primer pocket32 opening at the butt end 33 of the case. A passage communicates theinterior of the case with the pocket 32, the said pocket being roundwith a cylindrical wall 35 concentric with the axis of the case. In theoriginal cartridge case under consideration the corner at the wall 35and end 33 is sharp, at a right angle, and the material thereof isrolled over or staked over the originally installed primer P.

The primer P is an inverted cup-shaped element containing a cap materialand an anvil. The said element has a cylindrical outer wall 36 to have alight press fit with the wall 35 of the primer pocket, and has a bottomwall 37 of disc shape continuing from the wall 36. In some instances,the wall 37 is absolutely flat and in other instances the wall 37 isarcuately crowned as shown. In any case, the wall 37 is adapted to beindented by a hammer blow in order to strike the cap material againstthe anvil, whereby the primer explodes to fire the powder charge in thecase S.

When the original primer P is removed by the decapping pin, the crimpededge at 33-35 is straightened as shown in FIG. 7 to project and form aflashing or burr B. As a result, the sharp and right angle edge isemphasized by any spring back of the material forming the case and it ismade somewhat acute. In any case, it is necessary to remove saidsharpness, flashing or burr B. In FIG. 3 of the drawings is shown thecombination primer pocket swaging and seating tool T of the presentinvention. As shown, the tool T is a single element of construction inthe form of a head at the upper end of the shaft 25. In accordance withthe invention the tool T comprises a pilot portion 40, a centeringportion 45, and a swaging portion 50. The portions 40, 45 and 50 areintegrally incorporated in the tool to guide the tool, to swage andremove the burr B, to position the sleeve 26 that carries a primer P andto press the primer P into an installed position.

The pilot portion 40 has an outer cone-shaped wall 41 sized to justaxially fit into theprimer pocket. The portion 40 fits the diameter ofthe primer pocket with little if any clearance at its base, and ittapers, for example, from .210 inch to .190 inch. This give a guidingaction that brings the swaging portion 50 into proper play. The pressingfunction of the tool is accomplished by the terminal end of the toolwhich is formed with a convexly radiused periphery 42 and with aconcaved face 43. Said face 43 is concaved so as to clear the convexshape of the primer P and whereby the pressing pressures are applied atthe peripheral wall of said primer, thereby avoiding danger ofaccidentally indenting said wall to set off the cap material.

The centering portion 45 is slightly larger in diameter than the base ofthe pilot portion 40 and will not enter the primer pocket, and inpractice is, for example, five to ten thousandths of an inch greater indiameter than the pilot portion. In carrying out the invention thesleeve 26 is but slightly greater in diameter than the centering portion45, so as to be free to slide thereon, and

in this way the inner diameter of the sleeve freely receives the primerP and centers it Within the above-mentioned five to ten thousandths ofan inch limits.

The swaging portion 50 is intermediate the pilot portion 43 andcentering portion 45 and it is basically a tapered portion forming thetransition between the two diameters involved, namely, the diameter atthe base of the pilot portion and the diameter of the guiding portion,respectively. In the preferred form, the swaging portion comprises aconcave fillet 51 at the portion 40, and the corner at 52 can be and ispreferably sharp. The fillet 51 can be such as to eliminate any straightportion at the corner 52 and acts to swage the corner 33-35 outwardlyand downwardly. It is to be understood, however, that the transitionbetween the two portions 40 and 45 be a simple, conical taper andadapted to have a swaging action.

The tool T hereinabove described is used as follows: the tool T is amulti-purpose instrument that can be used to best advantage byinstalling it in an apparatus for mechanized processing of ammunition.In any case, the tool T is aligned with the axis of the case to beprocessed, to be centered with the axis of the primer pocket. Assumingthat the reloading process has reached the stage where the old expendedprimer P has been pressed out of place from the primer pocket, thenthere will be a burr B that must be removed. The tool T is now put intouse by swinging it into alignment with the operative axis, abovedescribed, and by driving it forwardly relative to the case in order toenter the pilot portion into the empty primer pocket. Firstly, thetapered pilot portion 40 enters the primer pocket with a close fit, andsecondly, the swaging portion 56 engages with the burr B to press thesame radially outward and inward. In practice, the fillet 51 can be afillet, in which case it effectively forms a sto shoulder tangent to theplane of the butt end 33 of the cartridge case. Thus, it becomesapparent that the tool T compresses the burr B, the cartridge case beingof relatively soft material such as brass, and forms in place thereof anarcuately curved convex radius at the corner 33-35.

Having rounded the corner 33-35 as above described, the tool T isretracted relative to the case. During the swaging operation the sleeve26 was depressed and upon retraction of the tool T from the swagingposition the. spring 28 repositions the sleeve 26, so that it projectswell beyond the concaved end of the pilot portion 40. Thus, a cup-shapedrecess is provided to freely receive a new primer P that is to bepressed into the prepared primer pocket. Again, the tool T is drivenforwardly relative to the case in alignment with the operative axis,whereupon the new primer P is pressed into the'installed position. Theperiphery of the new primer P is slightly radiused and with the roundedcorner of the newly prepared primer pocket it is a simple matter toenter the new primer P into the installed position. Further, during thelatter pressing operation the concavity of the face 43 assures that nopressure is applied to the sensitive center portion of the primer P,which in many instances is somewhat convex.

By using the tool T herein disclosed, resizing, removal of old expendedprimers, swaging of burrs from the primer pocket, and seating of newprimers is all accomplished without removal of the cartridge cases fromthe reloading apparatus, thereby saving a great deal of time and effort.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of myinvention, I do not wish tobe limited or restricted to the specificdetails herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself anymodifications or variations that may appear to those skilled in the artand fall within the scope of the following claim.

' Having described my invention, I claim:

A multi-purpose tool for deburring primer pockets and for pressingprimers into said pockets in the reprocessing of used cartridge cases ina reloading apparatus having a shaft for supporting the said tool on theoperative axis of the apparatus, by deburring the primer pockets of saidcases, and including:

(a) an enlarged head carried on said shaft and having a pilot portion, aguide portion and an intermediate swaging portion, (b) said pilotportion being of a diameter to closely fit into the diameter of theprimer pocket, (0) said guide portion being of larger diameter than thepilot portion, (d) said swaging portion being tapered outwardly from thepilot portion to the guide portion to form the primer pocket radiallyoutwardly,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS MonnotJune 3, 1913 Bond June 18, 1929 Huntington et a1 Aug. 19, 1958 DoyleDec. 23, 1958

